These are the notes we keep behind the chair on Davines Love Curl Controller, the kind of thing we tell clients while we are scrunching product into their damp hair. No marketing gloss, just what our stylists at Sølvi have noticed after working with this one for a while in our downtown Boise studio. If you have curls and you want them to actually look like curls by the end of the day, read on.
What it is
Love Curl Controller is Davines' curl-defining product, built for waves, spirals, and everything in between. It works on curly, coily, and wavy textures. The two ingredients doing the heavy lifting are almond and olive extracts, which help define the curl shape while adding moisture. It runs $32.00 on our retail shelf, and it slots into either a daily or a weekly routine depending on how often you wash.
How we use it behind the chair
We apply it to damp hair, not soaking and not towel-dried to a frizz. After shampoo and conditioner, we work the controller through with our fingers and scrunch upward toward the scalp to encourage the natural curl pattern. That scrunch is the whole technique. Rake it in smooth and you lose definition, so we cup and squeeze instead. Air dry if you have time, or use a diffuser on low.
Why it matters in Boise
Idaho air is dry. Our high-desert climate pulls moisture out of curls fast, and dry curls frizz, lose their shape, and look dull by mid-afternoon. The almond and olive extracts in this one add hydration without the heavy, greasy weight that some curl creams leave behind. For our clients walking around downtown near our studio at 104 S Capitol Blvd, that means a curl that holds its shape through a dry afternoon instead of collapsing into frizz.
The honest part: who it is not for
This is a curl product, full stop. If your hair is straight or only has a slight bend to it, you will not get much out of the Love Curl Controller, and a lighter styling product or a smoothing serum will serve you better. We would rather tell you that up front than sell you something that sits in your bathroom unused. It is also worth knowing that Davines built the Love Curl line to work together from wash to finish. The controller on its own performs well, but you get the cleanest definition when it follows the matching Love Curl shampoo and conditioner. On its own it is good. As part of the system it is noticeably better.
Our take
For the price, this is one of the more reliable curl definers we keep on the shelf. It does what it says, it does not build up, and it does not weigh curls down the way heavier products can. Clients with fine waves tell us it gives them shape without crunch, and our coily clients lean on it for hydration that lasts. The almond and olive base feels light going on, which is part of why we reach for it so often.
How to get it
You can see the full details and grab a bottle on our Love Curl Controller page. If you want us to dial in your curl routine in person, take a look at what we offer on our services menu, and then book an appointment online. We are happy to show you the scrunch technique at the chair so you can repeat it at home. Every product on our shelves is one our stylists actually use, and this curl controller earns its spot.